A Special Gift For Shion
by chibisamalove
Summary: This is a Jr.xShion pairing fanfic done for a challenge at Xenolegacy. It's postXSIII, so there are spoilers involved. Jr.'s slowly admitting to the fact that he cares for Shion as more than just a friend, just in time for Christmas!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer **- I don't own any of these characters, because if I did, you'd never see any of the male variant URTVs again. XD

Author's note - This story was written for a challenge at Xenolegacy. It was to be about the "gift of giving" or some gift-giving occasion. Hopefully, this story manages to fall into one of those categories. And since everyone there knows the Jr.xShion freak I am, none who visit from there should be at all surprised by this fic. :P

**A Special Gift for Shion**

The holidays were fast approaching for the passengers on board the Elsa. Time was moving far faster than any one of them would have believed possible. Already more than six months had passed since they had set off on their journey to find Lost Jerusalem. Thankfully, the Elsa wasn't an overly small ship; otherwise, the passengers might not be getting along as well as they were.

One of those very passengers was busy contemplating the upcoming Christmas holiday in a way he never had before. Gaignun Kukai, Jr., usually addressed as Little Master or simply Jr., was staring off into the distance, his blue eyes unfocused. Although he had been born on Christmas, the day had never held any special allure for him. He only managed to get a year older, but ever since he was twelve years old, he'd never been able to add any height along with that year. There was no sense in going over this, however, because he no longer had this issue. Slowly but very surely, he had finally convinced himself that he wouldn't allow his fear of his Red Dragon mode to rule his every waking moment. The result was that, in these past six months, Jr. had managed to add a whopping two inches to his former height of 4'7ཁ. Jr. grinned. _Hey, it's better than nothing_, he thought ruefully.

Of course there was a reason for Jr.'s current pensive mood, but it was a reason he wasn't willing to analyze nor discuss with anyone at the moment. With the recent events of losing chaos, Jin, and KOS-MOS, and now the extremely recent event of Shion and Allen dissolving their relationship, Jr. felt this course of action was best. Heaving a sigh, he decided he'd better head into the bridge and see how the crew was doing. Besides, Jr. had never been a loner and liked to surround himself with people. It kept him from thinking too much about things, as he was doing now. He stood up and exited the lounge.

"Hey, Little Master, how's it going?" greeted Captain Matthews when the door slid open to reveal Jr. "Were you able to figure out what that droid's problem was? Not having my special concoction every day isn't healthy to everyone's well-being, ya know."

Jr. laughed, knowing this all too well. "Yeah, it was nothing all that difficult to fix. A tweak here and a nudge there, and he's good to go. So you'll have your 'special concoction' in the morning. Has anyone seen Shelley, though? I'd really like to talk to her about something."

Tony was the one to answer him. "Shelley went to lie down for a while, Little Master. She said she hasn't been sleeping well for the past couple of nights. I think she's having nightmares about Master Gaignun." He paused for a moment, and then gave Jr. an innocent look. "So, what is it you need to talk about with her? I heard she had an interesting talk with Shion the other day."

Jr. shrugged in what he hoped was an offhand manner. "Oh she did? I didn't hear anything about that. I wanted to ask her about how she's coping, honestly. I know Shelley was closest to Gaignun, and I also know she's missing him a lot. She needs to talk about it with someone."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Little Master," he said disbelievingly. "You know as well as I do that Shelley won't talk about it. Let's just cut to the heart of the matter. You want to ask her about what Shion told her and the reason why she broke things off with Allen. You want to know if you've got even the tiniest shot with Shion."

Jr. eyed him balefully. "You're talking about things you know nothing about, and you're being insubordinate. Did you forget that I'm the one in charge aboard this ship or what? I should seriously think about docking your pay."

Hammer spoke up quietly. "Uh, Little Master...not to be a killjoy or anything when I'm enjoying this exchange, but you don't pay us anymore. How can you dock his pay of nothing?" He made a big show of working at his terminal then, expecting Jr.'s explosive temper to rear its ugly head.

Jr. opened his mouth and then closed it. How could he say anything in return when Hammer was absolutely right? He had nothing to his name now, with the Foundation gone. He had just been lucky that Matthews and the others were willing to help out of the kindness of their hearts. "Good point, Hammer," he uttered reluctantly. "Don't take that to mean you know a damn thing about this, Tony." He turned on his heel and headed back out, hearing Matthews snap on the way, "Ya morons, why don't ya just shut up and let Little Master deal with it on his own?"

Thanking his lucky stars that Mary hadn't been there for that conversation, Jr. headed for the ladies' cabin. He knocked on the door and heard a voice say, "Come on in." Jr. shuddered, for it had been spoken in Mary's accented tone. Taking a deep breath, he headed in and found Mary lounging on her bed while Shelley slept peacefully in hers. "Hiya, Little Mastah," Mary greeted. "What brings you here? If you're lookin' for Shion, she's in KOS-MOS' old maintenance room." This was said with a wink.

Jr. put a hand to his head and prayed for patience. Obviously, his feelings for Shion were written all over everything he said and did, but did everyone have to feel the need to make him face them? They couldn't go anywhere, so what was the point? "Mary, this has nothing to do with Shion. I don't know why you all seem to think I'm pining away for her or some stupid thing like that, but she's just a friend. Got it? Now, I gotta speak to Shelley, so do you think you could go find something to do?" He gave her a pointed glance. Mary's laughter followed her out of the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Jr. was silently fuming, which was very rare for him. Usually when he was feeling like this, everyone knew it since he couldn't hide the red aura that surrounded him. Being in such close vicinity with other people for such a length of time had had a remarkable effect on him, though. It was the reason why he'd finally been able to shake his fear of his Red Dragon mode. He **could** control his feelings and he **could** keep the beast at bay. Still, the conversation with Shelley had been very unproductive, both in trying to get her to open up about her feelings about Gaignun's death and in what she had discussed with Shion. "I need a drink," Jr. muttered and headed for what had become his sanctuary, the lounge.

Now comfortably ensconced in one of the booths, Jr. started in on the shots of whiskey he'd gotten from the newly repaired droid. He wanted to get good and drunk, so he could stop thinking about Shion. _This is why I don't want to talk about it_, he thought to himself angrily. _It's easier when I pretend it doesn't exist, and I can just act normally around her. It's not like she'll ever want me. Who knows if I'll even be able to grow up fully? What if these two inches are some kind of anomaly? What if being stuck in that form for all that time has had repercussions I don't even know about?_ Jr. swigged the whiskey down and shook his head. He told himself to stop thinking, to shut the switch off, but it wasn't working. Speaking to Tony and then dealing with Mary's not-so-subtle hints had forced his brain into working overtime, trying to make up for all of the other times he had just avoided dealing. _God, what if she thinks I'm just some kind of freak? I couldn't handle that. So pretending is for the best. It has to be._

_So you've finally decided to acknowledge your feelings for the Vector princess, eh, Rubedo?_ a sly voice purred inside his head. Jr. jumped, spilling his shot of whiskey all over. "Dammit! I was gonna drink that!" _Drowning your sorrows won't help, you know. You're so much stronger than that, Rubedo. I'm disappointed._ Suddenly Jr. realized just what it was he was hearing. "Albedo, you're awake! Jesus, I thought you had gone to sleep for good!" Albedo laughed quietly. _How can I possibly sleep when your mind is busy thinking of ways to make the princess yours? One can't rest with all that racket._ At that point, Jr. wished his brother had a physical form so he could hit him. "That's not what I was thinking at all, and you damn well know it! I don't want Shion to know-"

"Know what?" came a soft voice from the doorway. Jr.'s breath caught in his throat. He turned in his seat, even though he was well-aware of who was standing there. His blue eyes rested on Shion's face, a face that haunted his dreams because he was unable to guard against her while he was sleeping. He bit his lower lip and cursed Albedo to oblivion, who simply chuckled. Jr. could almost see him lounging back, taking in the situation and enjoying his twin's discomfort. Heart clenching painfully in his chest, Jr. prepared to lie to the woman he loved, even if he couldn't always admit it. "I don't want you to know what I'm giving you for Christmas," he said with an attempt at a laugh. "I want it to be a surprise."

Shion eyed him in confusion. "Christmas? Is it already that time? I've lost track of time ever since we lost them." Her beautiful green eyes filled with tears. "I don't really have much reason to celebrate, especially now that Allen and I have decided to go our own separate ways."

Jr. sensed the opportunity to discover just what had gone wrong with the relationship. _Careful, Rubedo. Since you're making a poor attempt at masking your feelings for the jade-eyed princess, you don't want to come across too strongly in your pursuit of knowledge_, Albedo chided. Jr.'s breath hissed between his teeth as he fought down the urge to do some kind of mental harm to Albedo. Since he had no idea if this was even possible, he climbed to his feet. Having managed to down quite a few shots before Albedo had made his presence known, he made a slightly weaving path over to Shion. "Can I ask you something, Shion? Just why did you and Allen not work out? You seemed to be getting along well." Albedo made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort. _I was sleeping and thus not privy to their interactions, but I know you, Rubedo, and you're lying through your teeth. I hope your face isn't quite as expressive as it was when I could see it._ Jr. ignored him for sanity's sake.

Shion sighed. "Could we possibly sit down and discuss this, Jr.? I've been so tired these past couple of weeks." She sat down in one of the booths and Jr. sat across from her, waiting for Shion to begin. "Things have been so difficult these last four weeks for me. Allen and I just weren't working out at all, and it wasn't because I didn't love him." She looked off, her eyes misty. "It's a little strange, because I didn't want to talk about it with anyone for so long. And then the other day, only Shelley and I were in the cabin. She just looked at me and I broke down and told her everything that had happened. She just sat there and listened. At the end, she told me it was really the only thing I could have done. To continue the relationship would have put too much stress on Allen and me, and we would have begun to hate one another."

Jr. was feeling the first strains of impatience. Shion was talking in a circle, not telling him what exactly had happened. _Rubedo, give her time_, Albedo said in a surprisingly gentle voice. _She's grieving, and she's not quite sure how to express her emotions right now. She'll get there eventually._ Jr., although more than a little shocked at Albedo's sudden display of humanity, knew that Albedo was right. He couldn't rush Shion, or he'd end up pushing her away completely. He said softly, "I'm here to listen too, Shion. Take as much time as you need."

Shion gave him a watery smile. "Thanks, Jr. Anyway, I've always cared for Allen and I know he's always loved me. I didn't always show it in the best way possible, though. I was cruel to him most of the time, but he never allowed that to change his feelings for me. I was too blinded by my infatuation with Kevin to notice that someone who truly loved me was standing right there in front of me. It took Kevin's nearly killing him to open my eyes. Finally, we were together in the way he'd always wanted, and the way that I now knew I wanted as well. As time went on, however, we ran across a stumbling block that we just couldn't get past. Maybe it was my fault."

Jr. wanted to disagree with her, but even without Albedo's constant coaching, he knew that wasn't what Shion needed from him. This had to be the hardest thing Jr. had ever had to do in his life. He wasn't the sort to sit without taking some kind of action, and he wasn't the best listener. That had always been Gaignun's strong point. Loving Shion as he did, though, instilled in Jr. the strength to sit quietly and allow Shion to continue on with no interruptions and no empty words that Shion didn't want to hear.

Shion turned in the booth and pulled her knees up to her chest, her position speaking her feelings in a way she hadn't been able to as of yet. She resembled a forlorn child more than anything. "You know me, Jr., because we're so much alike." Jr.'s breath caught in his throat, and he seemed to be having trouble getting it to unhitch. _So she noticed_, he thought with a quiet joy. "I'm stubborn and strong-willed, and I'll walk over people to get what I want. Nothing is more important to me than me." Jr.'s joy wilted instantaneously. This wasn't headed in the direction he'd hoped for. "And Allen is just so sweet and kind and good-hearted. I was slowly destroying him with my strong personality. He couldn't say no to me, and he wasn't able to stand up to me. So I did the best thing I possibly could for him - I set him free. He loved me enough to not challenge my decision. That doesn't make it any easier that I broke his heart." With that, Shion broke down.

Jr. immediately jumped to his feet and went around the table to enfold Shion in a comforting embrace. At least now he would be able to say something to her, to ease her anguish in some way. She unfolded from her position and hugged him back, her tears falling silently. He stroked her hair softly and said very quietly, "Shion, you did the most unselfish thing you could. You cared enough about him to let him go. Sometimes love, no matter how strong, just isn't meant to be. It doesn't make the pain any less, though." Shion nodded against his chest but didn't say a word in return. Jr. took the cue and simply told her, "I'm here, Shion. I know what you're feeling. Don't try to hold back with me." The sobbing began in earnest, and the two of them just held one another then.

Unbeknownst to them, the lounge door had slid open. Mary looked upon the scene with a sad shake of her head. She could read the Little Master's feelings in every line of his body. The soft expression on his face as he held Shion made Mary's heart ache for him. Backing up slowly so as not to disturb them and possibly cause either one a wealth of embarrassment, she left the lounge, all the while thinking to herself, _Little Mastah, if ya don't tell Shion how ya feel about her soon, you're gonna go crazy. Ya can't hide it anymore._

Now that Shion had gone to lie down, Jr. was left alone with Albedo and his own chaotic thoughts. Things had changed for him from the moment he'd touched Shion. He'd so carefully avoided any kind of physical contact with her since he'd first discovered his feelings for her had gone beyond simple friendship. As long as he kept his distance, he'd thought, he could just ignore the way his heart was calling for her and convince himself he was happy with the way their relationship was at present. It had all shattered like glass the instant he'd gone to her and taken her in his arms. _Rubedo, I don't think I've ever seen you think so much about something. You certainly didn't think this much before you let go of my hand all those years ago._ Albedo's tone wasn't bitter when saying this. Jr. could feel that he was very curious about his twin and the woman he loved.

"I've grown up, Albedo," he told his brother wearily. "Back then, thinking wasn't a strong point of mine. Oh hell, it's still not! I'm just trying to slip back into that old comfort zone where Shion is just a friend. If I give into these feelings and admit to everyone I love her, I have no idea what will happen. Allen will never forgive me, that's for sure. I'm not saying that will cause me any amount of grief, but I know it will upset Shion because she cares for him so much. I won't cause her that kind of pain, not ever!" He forcibly shut down the mental link with Albedo and left the lounge.


	2. Chapter 2

_The problem with all of this unwanted thinking is that you never know where you're headed when you decide to take a stroll,_ Jr. thought with a sigh. He immediately vetoed heading toward the bridge, since Tony would take one look at his face and start in with the merciless teasing about Shion. With the current mood he was in, Jr. was more than a little afraid that he would end up tossing Tony out into space or, even worse, lose control of himself. He couldn't take that chance. At a loss as to what to do, he heard this strange beeping coming from the blank U.M.N. screen. His curiosity piqued, he changed direction and stopped in front of it. An image filled the screen, causing Jr. to jump back with a yell.

"Jr.! I didn't think anyone was around, since I tried the bridge and nobody answered. I was hoping someone might walk by if I tried this one, though."

Jr. took a step forward. "MOMO, does this mean what I think it means then? It has to mean you've at least got part of the new network up and running. What the hell took so long?"

MOMO giggled. "It's good to see you too, Jr. Don't you worry about a thing. I'll tell you everything that's been going on here since you've all been gone. Doctus and I managed to get part of the new network running. The whole communication aspect is working perfectly. We just can't seem to get the gate jumps back online. Doctus doesn't know what the problem is. So, this means we can talk to you guys, but we can't speed up your journey or your return home." Her eyes moved over his face. "You look different for some reason. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, you know."

Jr. gave his trademark devil-may-care grin. "Yeah, I've managed to grow a grand total of two inches since ya last saw me. Anyway, so what exactly do you mean when you say the communication aspect is working? What all does that actually entail?" Feeling MOMO's searching gaze upon his face even through the screen, he glanced away. He'd known all along that MOMO had a crush on him, but he didn't return the feeling. He never had. She was the little sister he'd promised Sakura he'd look after. Caring about her in any other way would have violated that promise, in his opinion. He didn't want to hurt her, though, and so had never spoken of any of this to her.

MOMO answered, her voice conveying her confusion, "It means that everything but gate jumps is in working order. We can access the U.M.N. again, but only to a certain extent. As I said, we can use it to communicate, buy things, Encephalon dive... Well, we **could** buy things if there were any stores that had survived. Unfortunately, there's almost none left. The ones that did manage to survive have only the bare necessities." She cocked her head to the side, her golden eyes taking in Jr.'s posture. "Why do you seem so uncomfortable, Jr.? I've really missed you."

Jr. chewed on his bottom lip, not knowing how to respond to that. "Hey, where's the old man? I want to talk to him then and see if he's been taking care of things the way he should. Is he in the general vicinity, MOMO?" Giving him a quick nod, MOMO disappeared from the screen and soon reappeared with Ziggy in tow. "Hey old man, how's it going? You all been doing okay? Alby hasn't been giving you a problem, has he?" _And just who the hell is Alby?_ The thought stabbed into Jr.'s mind like a needle. Jr. aimed a thought back at his brother. _I'll tell you later. I don't have time now._

Ziggy folded his arms across his chest. "We haven't had any problems that need to be spoken of. MOMO and Doctus have been working on the new network almost constantly, and I've...been kept busy looking after the dog." A faint wrinkle appeared at Ziggy's brow, the only hint that he found this distasteful. Almost on cue, a frantic barking sounded and a streak of white zipped past MOMO and bounded into the air. Alby landed on Ziggy's shoulder, tail wagging ecstatically at seeing his master on the screen. Ziggy turned his head to look at the offender, and Alby licked his face. Jr. couldn't contain his laughter at seeing what Ziggy had been reduced to.

"Well, it seems like you're all doing fine then. Alby has adjusted well, and most of the new network is up and running. As much as I'd love to continue this entertaining conversation, I've got to go and let everyone know the newest development. Keep in touch, okay?" Jr.'s last glimpses of MOMO and Ziggy were of MOMO turning away with sad eyes and Ziggy reaching up and removing Alby from his shoulder as though he were contaminated.

On the way to round up everyone so he could share MOMO's news, he had a bit of a mental battle with Albedo. _First, I demand to know who or what this Alby is. You have the time to tell me now, Rubedo. _Jr. sighed good-naturedly. "He's my dog, Albedo. I entrusted him to MOMO and Ziggy for safekeeping since he'd have more room to roam with them." He felt the warring emotions before Albedo even spoke again. _While I'm overjoyed you didn't erase me from your memory, I'm finding the idea of having a dog named for me rather revolting. There are times I just don't understand you, Rubedo._ Jr. laughed but sobered up almost instantly. "Albedo, can I ask you a question? When Shion was talking to me, why the hell were you being so nice? It's not like you even give a damn about her." Albedo was silent for a few seconds before answering. _I give a damn about you, and since you care so much for her, I didn't want you to screw things up by shooting off your mouth._ _You've never learned the art of being silent when the moment calls for it, you know._ Jr. narrowed his eyes. "And you haven't changed one bit. You're still determined to get a rise out of me. Well, forget it. Now, I just need to grab Allen and then tell everybody what's going on."

With everyone gathered on the bridge, Jr. proceeded to tell them all that MOMO had related to him. Tony was disappointed by the lack of functioning gate jumps. He was anxious to get back to the women as quickly as possible. "No offense to all of the charming ladies on board, of course," he said with a dashing grin. Hammer rolled his eyes, but wisely decided not to provoke his best friend.

Matthews was matter-of-fact about it. "No sense in crying and whining over something that ain't working. It's not like we got other places to be at the moment. We just keep on heading in the direction we been heading in, and we'll get there soon enough. We'll worry about the return trip if we got to once we reach our destination." He scratched the back of his neck, looking guilty. "Sorry, Little Master. We've been without communication for so long, that beeping sound didn't mean anything to us. It's a good thing you talked to MOMO, or else we'd still be in the dark."

Jr. shrugged. "Ah, it's not a big deal. She just would have kept trying until someone had the damn sense to know what was going on. Okay, I guess we're done here. Just try to keep an ear open in case she contacts us again." He waved a hand, indicating dismissal. As everyone filed out of the room and Jr. turned to follow suit, he was surprised to see Mary waiting for him. "What's up, Mary?"

Mary's blue eyes twinkled. "We got things to discuss, Little Mastah. Since Shelley and Shion are headed back to our cabin, how about we use yours? I got the feelin' that what I got to say ain't somethin' ya want anyone overhearin'." Without waiting for Jr.'s answer, she turned her back on him and sauntered off. Jr. rubbed the back of his neck, somehow already knowing where this conversation would be going. Despite that, he made his way out of the room and headed after his blond companion.

The door slid closed behind Jr. and he turned as though facing an executioner. Mary started laughing when she saw the look on his face. "Oh Little Mastah, relax! I just wanted to talk to ya about Shion." Jr. eyed her with suspicion but kept his mouth shut for the time being. Mary took a deep, calming breath and sat down on one of the beds. "I kinda think it's best if I just say this outright, so I ain't beatin' around the bush to spare your feelin's. Considerin' your track record, Little Mastah, and my own personal experience with ya, the word best used to describe ya would be 'player.' While the women you've been with in the past were peachy-keen with that, Shion's just a lil' different. If ya want a relationship with her, it'll be time to settle down."

Jr. threw himself into his black leather chair. The violence behind the action warned Mary that he wasn't overly happy with the topic at hand, but she also knew that he'd been expecting it. His expression at the door had been proof. This didn't mean Jr. was prepared to have the expected conversation gracefully, however. "First of all, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your nose out of my personal life, Mary. Just because you managed to make it into my bed doesn't mean you know all about my views on relationships. Second of all, a relationship with Shion is totally freakin' impossible for me! Just look at me! Do you think she'd want people staring at her, wondering why she's making out with some kid?! The women on the Foundation and the Durandal knew the score and didn't care what others thought. Shion's not going to feel that way, and you know it. Unless something drastic happens, you're worrying over nothing." He grabbed a book off of the shelf next to him, indicating he, at least, was done with the discussion.

Mary stood up and made her way slowly over to him. "Little Mastah, I know ya all too well and that attitude ain't scarin' me one bit. Shion don't care one way or the other for what people think when it comes to what she wants. I want to make sure that the relationship I see comin' won't be all shot to pieces by your thinkin' ya can waltz in and out of her life as ya please." She bent down and stuck her face in his, hands on hips.

Jr. ran a hand through his crimson hair, sighing as he did so. "Mary, although I don't see any reason why I should still be talking about this with you, I'll give you the answer you're obviously looking for. You won't leave until you hear it, even though you know what I'm going to say." He fell silent for a moment and looked away. His voice was quiet when he finally spoke again. "I love her, Mary, and that's all."

Mary patted his shoulder in a sisterly way. Her stern look had disappeared and she gave him a sunny smile. "I know, Little Mastah. Ha, I did know what ya were gonna say, but I think ya needed to hear yourself say it. Now ya can stop avoidin' it and start concentratin' on what ya gotta do to win her heart. Maybe ya could get her a really nice Christmas present that'll give her a good idea of how ya feel." On that note, she exited the room, leaving Jr. to his own thoughts.

That night, Jr. found himself dreaming about Shion. This didn't come as a surprise to him of course, considering all that he'd been through during this mess of a day. This time, though, there was something different about the dream when compared to all of his others. In every other dream he'd had, Shion was just as untouchable as she was when he was awake. With this dream, the first thing he noticed that was different was he had taken on his true form, the one Gaignun had shown to him before he disappeared. The second thing he noticed was that he was at the Foundation. This was obviously impossible, since the Foundation hadn't survived the crisis. The final thing he took note of at that point in time was that he was dressed as he'd never been before. He was wearing a black tux, a deep red tie, and shoes that had been shined so much, he could see his reflection in them. Glancing around, he saw he was in the Four Flowers restaurant, which was the only concession Gaignun had made to upper society.

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was nearly midnight. He heard a tapping sound heading toward him and he lifted his head to look in the direction of the sound. His mouth opened but nothing emerged as he drank in the sight of Shion. She was dressed in a white cocktail dress with thin spaghetti straps at the shoulders. It clung to her every curve without being overly revealing. Her hair was caught up in an elegant chignon, showing the diamond teardrop earrings she was wearing and a necklace of three small-cut diamonds set in a dropping row nestled in the hollow of her throat. She crossed the room almost silently to stand in front of him with a small smile on her lips. "Hello, Jr.," she said softly. "I'm sorry that I'm late, but I got lost trying to find this place. It's tucked out of the way where no one can see it."

Jr. cleared his throat, tried to speak, found his voice far too croaky, and attempted to take a deep breath. He put out an arm for her to take and told her quietly, "You look beautiful tonight. You should have let me pick you up, though, and you wouldn't have gotten lost." This last bit was said with a teasing smile, and Shion laughed up at him as she put her hand in the curve of his arm. "I take it you liked the necklace then?"

Shion brought her free hand to the necklace. "Yes, it's perfect, Jr. The past, present, and future concept behind it was a very nice touch. I'm a tiny bit surprised you thought of it, honestly." She wrinkled her nose at him to take the sting out of her words, although he wasn't offended by them at all.

Jr. grinned at her. "I'm a bit surprised myself, actually." The grin disappeared almost immediately to be replaced by a soft smile. "We have the past where we thought we were just friends, we have the present where we know we're so much more, and we'll have the future where nothing will ever separate us. As soon as I saw it and read the poem that went with it, I knew it was meant for you to have." Blue and green eyes locked, and it was a moment before either one moved. Finally, Jr. gave a low laugh and said, "I'm thinking we came here for dinner, Ms. Uzuki, and standing here isn't going to get that dinner to us. Shall we?"

Dinner passed by uneventfully and Jr. stood up, stretching out his hand to Shion. "The band has been playing all of this time, and there's nobody on the dance floor taking advantage of it. We don't want to make them feel like they've been useless, do we?"

Shion's laugh was infectious, since Jr. was all too aware of why she was laughing in the first place before she spoke. "How could anyone be on the dance floor taking advantage when we're the only ones here? And of course, this wasn't set up deliberately for us to have the restaurant all to ourselves, right? You being the director of the Foundation and all?"

Jr. aimed an innocent look her way. "I don't have that kind of power around here." Shion scoffed, and the innocent look crumbled. "Okay, so it may have been premeditated to have you all to myself with no one around. Is that really such a bad thing?" Shion finally took his proffered hand, and he led her out to the dance floor where he reveled in the simple joy of holding her close to him.

Much later on, they had left the restaurant and Jr. had walked Shion back to her hotel room. His reason for this was so she didn't get lost again, and Shion had smacked him lightly on the shoulder when he said it. Standing outside her room, Shion turned to Jr. and quietly spoke. "I had a wonderful time tonight, Jr. It was the perfect evening, even though you stepped on my foot two or three times." Her emerald green eyes sparkled up at him mischievously.

Jr. chuckled and said in reply, "I took ballroom dancing lessons back in the day, because Gaignun forced me into it, so I couldn't possibly have stepped on your foot. I felt a heel come down on my foot once or twice, though." He grew serious a few seconds later. "I had a great time tonight too. How could I not, with such a beautiful woman at my side?"

Shion rolled her eyes at him. "Still the charmer, aren't you?" Like with Jr. before, the humor left her quickly and she took his hand, twining her fingers through his. Jr. looked down at her and saw the longing in her expressive eyes. He pulled her gently into his embrace and then used a finger to tilt her chin up. Their mouths met in a butterfly-soft kiss at first, but it quickly ignited and changed to something much more passionate. And then, everything started to dissolve...

Hovering somewhere between sleep and waking, Jr. was lying in his bed, his eyes moving rapidly behind his eyelids. Rolling onto his side, he muttered, "Shion..." Tony, who was walking by on his way to the shower, shook his head when he heard it. "Jesus, Little Master, you have got it bad. You can't even forget about her when you're sleeping." Resolving never to speak of what he'd heard, lest he have his head handed to him on a silver platter, he sighed and headed into the shower room.

Jr.'s blue eyes opened and he gazed blearily around. "What the hell?" He grasped his head in his hands, feeling as though he had a major hangover. And that was when he focused on a 4'9" frame instead of a 6'3" one. The dream had been so vivid to him, that being confronted with the reality of waking up caused him to start raging in frustration. "This is all Mary's goddamn fault!" he yelled. "If it wasn't for her insisting I needed to hear myself say I love Shion, I wouldn't have even had the damn dream!" He punched the wall next to him, barely even feeling the pain that resulted. _Rubedo,_ came Albedo's reproachful voice, _is there a reason you woke me up with all this yelling and shouting? I was sleeping rather peacefully._ Jr. shouted, "Just leave me alone, Albedo! Get out of my head for now, or I swear I'll make you regret it!" _Fine then, talking to you when you're in such a violent mood does nothing but waste everyone's time anyway._ Jr. felt Albedo's presence draw back, and a malicious sense of satisfaction over it shot through him.

Having found it in himself to shower and dress, Jr. was now wandering the Elsa with no particular destination in mind. He'd headed for the lounge at first, determined to drink himself into oblivion, where Shion couldn't haunt his every thought. He'd quickly turned around at the door, though, when he'd seen Tony and Hammer sitting at one of the tables. He was in no mood to deal with Tony's joking when it came to his feelings about Shion. Jr.'s heart was just too bruised from the dream to have Tony even speak Shion's name to him. So instead he took the elevator down to the lower floor, where he encountered the Professor and Scott a minute later. "Professor, the Christmas lights aren't high enough! Someone's going to walk into them and get hanged!"

The Professor shrugged this off. "You worry too much, Assistant Scott! Go get the other string of lights and we'll hang them over the monitor. Hee hee hee, we'll make this ship glow so bright, everyone will have to wear sunglasses!" He did his crazy little dance that caused everyone aboard the Elsa to put their hand to their forehead, praying for patience.

Jr. stopped dead in the doorway to the room they had taken over. He eyed the goings-on with a glare. "What are the two of you doing? Did you even ask if you could put this crap up? I can't see Matthews being okay with it. And don't even say you're gonna do this to the whole ship, because I'll toss the both of you right the hell out into space right now. I'm not looking at a bunch of Christmas lights blinking in my eyes or listening to stupid Christmas songs from the Lost Jerusalem era. So take all of it down, right now!" He yanked viciously at the set of lights in Scott's hand.

The Professor hopped up and down furiously. "Just who do you think you are, sonny? No Christmas spirit at all!" He came over to where Jr. and Scott were having a tug-of-war over the lights and hit Jr. over the head with the golden metal star he'd been about to hang in the middle of the room.

Jr. staggered, clutching his head. "Dammit, old man, why do you keep hitting me in the head?"

The Professor cackled. "Because you're sadly lacking any brainpower, my boy. So you shouldn't feel much pain when I do that."

Jr. grabbed the star out of his hands and flung it into a far corner. He drew himself up straight and said in a very low and dangerous voice, "When I come back, if this crap is still hanging up, the Elsa will be dropping off two uninvited guests. Since we're out in the middle of nowhere, and I won't be giving you any spacesuits to wear, just how do you think you'll survive your sudden plunge into space?" His blue eyes shooting sparks, he folded his arms across his chest. "Am I in any way unclear to either of you?"

Scott looked terrified and shook his head. The Professor had a mutinous expression on his face, but taking in Jr.'s aggressive stance, he jerked his head at Scott and barked, "Get up on the ladder and take it all down! We wouldn't want the little one blowing his top over a few Christmas lights, would we?" Scott hurried off to do the Professor's bidding, and Jr. left the room, his aggression not having faded in the slightest.


	3. Chapter 3

He continued on down the corridor and passed through the door that opened up into the hangar that had housed the E.S.s. Thinking to himself that he could hide away in a corner and read until this mood of his had passed, he made a beeline for the stairs. He stopped dead when he heard two familiar voices drift toward him. _No, I cannot handle Mary again right now. And Shelley won't be any help because she'll just stand there and let Mary say whatever she wants. I need to get out of sight!_ Spying KOS-MOS' old maintenance room door, he rushed over to it and ducked inside quickly. Leaning back against it with a sigh of relief, he jumped almost a foot in the air when he heard a voice say, "Jr., what are you doing here?"

Recovering, he saw Shion striding toward him. Seeing the cause of his heartache was too much for Jr. to bear. So he did the only thing that he thought would make him feel better, and that was lashing out at Shion. "Do you live in this room or what, Shion? You might as well sleep in here. If you'd like, we could bring your breakfast, lunch, and dinner to you too. That way, you'd never have to leave your damn memories of KOS-MOS!"

Shion gave him a hurt-filled glance. "You act as though I spend my life in here, Jr. You know that's not true. I'm sorry that I miss KOS-MOS so much. When I'm in this room, I feel close to her. So I spend a few hours a day in here, just so I won't forget about her." She turned her head from him, and he knew she was beginning to cry. Any other time it would have caused him to want to do nothing but take her in his arms and tell her he was there for her, even if she didn't understand the meaning behind it. Now, though, he just wanted to hurt her as much as he was hurting from his dream.

"She was an android, Shion! Nothing but a simple android! Why the hell do you insist on remaining so attached to her? If the situation had been reversed, and you were the one who stayed behind, do you think she'd be here grieving over you? No, because it wasn't logical and she wasn't human! She probably would have forgotten about you by now, or if your name was brought up, she wouldn't even blink. Why can't you move on?" Jr. was nearly screaming by the end of his speech. He spun on his heel, determined to leave the room. Shion's voice stopped him cold.

"How dare you," she breathed quietly. "How dare you take my feelings and trample over them as though they're nothing. I had so much respect for you before this moment, Jr. You don't know anything about my relationship with KOS-MOS. You don't know anything about her or how she felt. Turn around. At least have the common decency to look at me after you've spoken to me the way you have." When he did so, he was pinned in place by the blazing fury in her eyes. "I don't know why you think you have the right to hurt me the way you have, but you're not leaving this room until I have an apology from you. I didn't deserve that treatment and you damn well know it."

Jr.'s first reaction was to tell Shion she'd be waiting until Hell froze over and even then she wouldn't get an apology from him. The part of him that was so in love with her, he couldn't see straight when she was near, overruled that reaction. He realized that somehow, he'd managed to snap Shion out of her mourning. No one had seen much of anything in the way of personality from Shion since they'd set off for Lost Jerusalem and only tears and a need for solitude since she'd told Allen it was over. Finally, though, here was the old Shion, the strong-willed Shion that he'd fallen in love with. While she might be standing there with stormy green eyes aimed in his direction, the fact was...she had finally returned.

He held up a hand in a gesture of peace. "You're right, Shion. I was out of line with what I said. There's nothing I can say that will suffice for an excuse as to why I did it, especially when it's not even how I really feel about KOS-MOS. I just wanted to hurt someone the way I've been hurting," he said honestly. He leaned against one of the computer terminals, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

The anger in Shion's eyes started to fade, and she came to stand beside him. "You miss him, don't you?" she asked, and Jr. didn't even pretend to not know who she was talking about. He simply nodded. "I didn't know Gaignun that well, or really at all, but I know how close you were to him. We've all lost people who meant so very much to us. I've just been so consumed by my own losses, that I couldn't see anyone else's pain. And knowing the holiday is so close didn't make it any easier. As much as I'd like to slap you for what you said," she told him as she narrowed her eyes, and Jr. gave her a guilty grin, "you did what no else could. So maybe I needed someone to get in my face. A little less enthusiasm would have been appreciated, though." She poked him in the shoulder teasingly.

Jr. chuckled, but she could see his thoughts were focused elsewhere. She put her hand atop his that was resting on the panel of the computer terminal and simply waited. "You know, it's weird. I haven't thought about Gaignun much since that day. I haven't let myself, because I know if I do, I'm going to lose it. He and I were partners for so long, and we had our own separate duties to take care of. Now with him gone, it's all up to me. It's been a long time since I was the only leader. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't know that I can do it without knowing Gaignun is there to fall back on. Everyone here treats me like a kid to some degree, and that's what has me worried. Can they really accept that I'm all there is now?"

Shion squeezed his hand lightly. She took a minute to put her thoughts in order before answering Jr. "I think they can. Besides, you were the leader of the U.R.T.V.s."

Jr. laughed drily. "Yeah, and I did such a wonderful job leading them, didn't I? I got most of them killed or infected because I was such a coward." He pushed off of the terminal and started pacing. "My leadership skills are sadly lacking. I don't know what the hell Gaignun was thinking in believing that I could do this on my own."

Shion followed after him and again took his hand, forcing him to come to a halt. "Hey, this isn't the Jr. that I know. We're not going to switch places now that I've finally stopped wallowing in my own misery. You know as well as I do that you're capable of anything when you set your mind to it. It was always you who led us through everything, and you who did things that others couldn't. Gaignun knew this, and that's why he felt comfortable going on. So don't blame yourself for the fact that you didn't save him."

Jr.'s spine stiffened. In one sentence, Shion had managed to nail precisely what he'd been feeling since Gaignun's disappearance. He'd just done all that he could to avoid thinking about it. This feeling combined with the discovery that he loved Shion as much more than just a friend had made him almost unapproachable these past few months. "You don't think he blames me for not being able to save him?"

Shion shook her head. "As little as I knew him, I did know him well enough to say that he cared very much about you, and Albedo. Being able to save the two of you was all that mattered to him. It was a very noble thing of him to do, and he certainly wouldn't want you blaming yourself. I think he'd want you to move on." She looked a little sad then. "And saying that makes me realize that Jin would have wanted the same thing for me."

Jr. noticed for the first time that Shion was holding his hand. It made him feel much lighter, almost as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He knew she was right about Gaignun. He would never have blamed his brother for what had happened, but having someone else say it to him made Jr. feel secure in that knowledge. "Jin loved you a lot, Shion. He may not have always known how to express it, but he was always looking after you. So yeah, he would have wanted you to be happy. He said so himself."

Shion smiled at him and nodded. "I know. It's just that right now, I miss him so much. See, when Christmas rolled around, Jin made sure that we celebrated it. Even if we fought the whole time, I had to be home for it. Back when I was younger, and Mom was sick and Dad was never really home, Jin made sure that I had a happy Christmas despite it. I wish I could remember a Christmas where we all were together, though. I know when I was a baby, Mom hadn't gotten sick yet, so we would have been able to celebrate Christmas as a family. This year, I don't even have Jin." She sighed. "But you know, it's time to establish a new tradition, don't you think? I'm among friends here, and that's what is important."

Jr. was struck by a sudden idea as to the perfect gift for Shion. He would have to discuss it with Allen, but he didn't see Allen being an obstacle. Despite their being apart now, Allen would still want to see Shion happy. Almost giddy with his plan, Jr. gave Shion's hand a tight squeeze and said quickly, "You're among people who love you here. Look, I hate to put an end to this, but I've got something I need to do right now. Thanks for what you said about Gaignun. It means a lot to me. I'll talk to you later, okay?" He rushed out of the room, leaving Shion standing there staring after him with a bemused look.

_Is it safe yet?_ Albedo said sarcastically. _Should I go back to hiding out, or am I allowed to actually speak now?_ Jr. rolled his eyes and replied, "Don't act like a big baby, Albedo. I needed some time to myself right then. And if I know you as well as I know I do, you were still hanging around. You withdrew enough to make me think you'd gone, but you were taking everything in, weren't you?" _I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it will incriminate me,_ Albedo sniffed haughtily._ Judging from the feelings that I'm reading from you, Rubedo, you're in a much better mood now. In fact, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find you're skipping along merrily._ Jr. slowed down, embarrassed to see that Albedo had been right. _Nigredo would never have blamed you, Rubedo. He did what he felt was the right thing to do, and that was making us whole again._ Jr. came to a halt and cried triumphantly, "Ha, you were listening! You'd only know I was blaming myself if you heard the conversation between Shion and me!" _No, I know it to be true because I could read it in your subconscious, Rubedo. I think I've said before that you don't mask your emotions well? _Albedo was quiet for a few seconds and then said in an innocent voice, _You could only claim I'd listened in if I knew the reason you're so sickeningly happy right now. And if I do, I'm certainly not saying._ Jr. could only sigh at his brother and then continued on his search for Allen.

He met the Professor and Scott again on his way up the corridor. They were both grumbling after having just removed all of the decorations. Jr. stepped into the room and said with an extremely straight face, "So why are all of the decorations down? They were coming along pretty well, if you ask me."

Scott stuttered, "But y-y-you told us to t-t-take them d-d-down, sir!" and the Professor gave Jr. the evil eye. "So what does that mean, sonny? We took them down for no good reason then?"

Managing to keep his face expressionless, Jr. said in answer, "Yeah, you can put it all back up. In fact, you'd better decorate the whole ship too. And since it'll probably take you a good while, no time like the present to get started!" He headed out of the room to the sound of their renewed muttering and kept his laughter contained until he hit the elevator.

He found Allen hanging out on the bridge, deep in conversation with Hammer. This wouldn't have been surprising if not for the fact that Allen had been nearly as anti-social as Shion for the last couple of weeks. So Jr. took it as a good sign that Allen seemed to be coming around somewhat. Impatiently waiting for a lull in which he could speak up, he finally broke in with, "Hey Allen, do you think I could borrow you for a little bit? I need to talk something over with you."

Allen gave him a sidelong glance, confusion plainly written all over his face. Jr. could understand why, since they didn't go out of their way to speak to one another. It wasn't that either one hated the other; it was more that Jr. had never quite gotten over Allen's comment aboard the Durandal when they'd first met and Allen had never quite forgotten that Jr. had joked about leaving him there in space. So it was somewhat of an uneasy alliance between the two of them. Now that Jr. was deliberately seeking him out, Allen was clearly at a loss. "Um, okay. We'll finish the conversation a little later, Hammer. Hacking the new network already..." He sighed and followed Jr.

Now that Jr. had Allen on his own where he could talk to him, he wasn't quite sure how to begin. He didn't want his feelings for Shion to broadcast so clearly that Allen picked up on them. He took to pacing and Allen spoke up after a few minutes of watching Jr. wear a hole in the floor. "Jr., so what exactly did you need to talk to me about? I can't think of a single thing we'd need to discuss." He put a hand to the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "Uh, that didn't come out the way I intended. I meant-"

Jr. held up his hand and Allen fell silent. "It's okay, Allen. You were just being honest. Can't fault you for that. Look, I need to ask you a really huge favor. Ordinarily, I wouldn't ask you for anything, but you're the only one here who can do what I need done, and..." Jr. swore silently. _Not the most brilliant opening I've heard, Rubedo. Have you ever heard of tact? It would serve you well to look into the meaning of the word, _Albedo said with a chuckle. Jr. gritted his teeth and tried again. "Sorry, Allen, that's not the way I meant to start out. I don't really know how I meant to start this, to be honest with you."

Allen laughed a little nervously. Since he had no idea what this was even about, he couldn't help lead the conversation in a helpful direction. "I'd try to help, if I had any clue what you needed from me, Jr., but I'm lost."

Jr. decided it was best just to plunge on ahead, before he managed to alienate Allen enough to not even hear him out. "Allen, you're really knowledgeable when it comes to Encephalon diving, right? I remember Shion saying something about it before we dove into MOMO's subconscious that time. I really need that knowledge of yours for a Christmas gift for someone."

Allen looked a little surprised. It was obvious that whatever he'd been expecting Jr. to ask of him, it wasn't anything close to this. "Well, we still have the Simple Dive Unit. Ch-I mean, Shion left it here because she thought it might come in handy later on. What is it that you plan on doing? I've got to know the details so that I'm able to back you up when the time comes."

Jr. turned away from Allen. He didn't want him to be able to read the expression on his face when he told him what he planned on doing. While they weren't very friendly, he knew Allen was far shrewder than he projected most of the time. _Plus there's the fact that your feelings for the princess are so blatantly obvious. And since he feels the same way about her, he'd know in an instant, _Albedo pointed out. Jr. bit his lip, well-aware of the accuracy of this statement. He took a deep breath and said quietly, "I was talking to Shion a little while ago, and she was saying how she wished she could remember a Christmas where she had all of her family around her. I was thinking that she'd have the memory of when her mom wasn't sick, even if she can't recall it consciously. If you helped me with an Encephalon dive into her mind, she could experience it and keep that memory."

Allen was quiet for a few minutes. Finally, he nodded and said to Jr.'s back, "Yeah, I think I could help you out with this. We'd need Ch-uh, Shion's permission, though, because I won't do any Encephalon diving that hasn't been pre-approved, not after what we've been through when it comes to diving. I'm not saying you need to tell her exactly what you plan on doing, but she needs to know enough to give it her okay."

Jr. spun around, so happy that Allen had agreed to help out, that he forgot to put a damper on his emotions. He shook Allen's hand and grinned. "Thanks, Allen! It'll mean a hell of a lot to Shion, and I know that she'll say it's no problem. As long as she doesn't say no, I'd like for this to happen on Christmas Eve, if possible."

Allen was a bit subdued when he answered. "I don't see any conflicts with Christmas Eve. Just let me know either way." Seeing Jr. was about to leave, he said quietly, "Just promise me that you'll be good to her, Jr. She deserves it."

Jr.'s feelings were at war. While a fairly large part of him wanted to tell Allen he didn't know what he was talking about, to spare Allen's feelings, he knew that wouldn't be fair to Allen. Not when he'd made it clear he knew that Jr. cared about Shion as far more than a friend. So he replied just as quietly, "If it comes to that, Allen, I will. I swear it." He and Allen nodded to one another, and Jr. took off in search of Shion.


	4. Chapter 4

Christmas Eve arrived, and the Elsa was blazing with Christmas lights. There were the standard non-blinking variety, the blinking to Christmas music variety, the bubbling lights variety, and the icicle variety. Where the Professor and Scott had managed to find them all after the crisis was a mystery to everyone, but not enough of one for them to request an answer. There was also mistletoe hanging throughout the ship, much to Tony's delight. He'd managed to steal a kiss from both Mary and Shelley before they'd realized and had been on the verge of sneaking one from Shion when Jr. had entered the lounge. One look at the Little Master's face had convinced Tony it wasn't a wise move. Instead, he maneuvered so the kiss landed upon Shion's cheek and he quickly made himself scarce.

Shion gave Jr. a smile when he stopped in front of her. "I'm guessing it's time to go then? Why are you being so secretive about the reason behind this dive? The only thing you'd say was that it would make me happy, and I could hardly say no to that, especially when you were aiming those puppy-dog eyes at me."

Jr. huffed, "I don't use puppy-dog eyes for your information. It's only because I'm so damn irresistible. My natural charm, one might say." His sapphire eyes sparkling with merriment, he made a gesture toward the door. "If you want to find out badly enough, you'll come with me to KOS-MOS' old room. Allen's waiting for us both."

Shion shook her head with a good-natured sigh. "Even Allen knows what's going on? This must be good for you to have asked him for help. The two of you aren't exactly very close. All right, lead the way." She followed in Jr.'s wake.

In the old maintenance room, Allen helped Shion get set up with the Simple Dive Unit. She put the glasses on and settled herself upon the small plush sofa she'd had put in there back when they'd first began their journey. "Now that I'm here, do you think you could tell me just why I'm diving? I'm not backing out," she was quick to say when Jr. opened his mouth to say something. "I'm just curious."

Jr. knew it was time to tell her of his plan. He questioned, "You remember back when we were talking about the holidays and you missing your family?" Shion nodded. "Well, I knew that deep within your subconscious, you must have the memory of when your mom wasn't sick. So I went to Allen and asked him if it was possible to set up a dive so that you could go back to that time and spend Christmas Eve with them. This time, you'd be able to hold on to the memory consciously, and you could look back on it whenever you started to miss them. Was I wrong to do it?" He was getting anxious now that his plan was being put into effect. What if Shion hated the idea, or worse, hated him for even thinking of it?

Shion's face lit up with joy, dispelling those thoughts away. "Jr., that's a wonderful idea! It must have taken a lot of courage for you to ask Allen for help, though." Her eyes softened as she looked at him. She then turned a little impatiently to Allen. "Is everything set up, Allen? Now that I know what's going on, I don't want to wait."

Allen made a few last minute adjustments and then gave Shion a nod. "I've got everything set for you to go back to 4746. I'll be here to back you up if anything goes wrong, but I don't think it will. Jr. and I have been pretty busy checking all possibilities, so it should be perfectly safe. Just enjoy the trip." He smiled a little sadly at Shion and then busied himself with the preparation for starting the dive.

Jr. was leaning back against the computer terminal, content to see that his idea had made Shion happy. He grinned at her and said, "We'll see you when you get back. Enjoy the time with your family." As relaxed as he was, he was caught off-guard when Shion jumped off the sofa, grabbed his hand, and said with a teasing smile, "Oh no, you don't! You're coming with me, whether you like it or not!" Everything went all hazy for the both of them. Allen, who had foreseen this coming with how close Jr. and Shion had become over the last week, whispered, "Just remember what you promised me, Jr. Make sure you take good care of her, while she's there and when she comes back."

Jr. shook his head to clear out the cobwebs. Diving was always a bit of a shock to the system, but it was doubly so when unprepared for it. He glanced around for Shion and found her a few feet away from him, intently looking at the houses. She must have felt his gaze on her because she turned around and said to him, "We're not far from my old house. About five to ten minutes of walking should get us there. So come on." She quickly set off, and Jr. hurried after her, still slightly light-headed.

Standing at the corner of the street where her house was, Shion finally seemed to be getting nervous. She ran a hand through her brunette locks self-consciously. "What on earth am I supposed to say to them, Jr.? I can't just barge in and say I'm your daughter all grown-up. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

Jr. stayed her hand by reaching up and taking it. He gave her one of his trademark grins and replied, "I've got this all worked out. We're going to knock on the door and say we've gotten lost. We're here to visit relatives, but since this is our first time to Miltia, we couldn't find their house. I have the feeling that they'll be kind enough to let us in. Now come on." Tugging slightly on Shion's hand, he managed to get her moving and they headed toward the house.

The door opened almost immediately after Jr.'s knock, and from Shion's small gasp, he knew this was her mother. She looked very different from the woman who had been in the bed of the room in Labyrinthos. In fact, he could see just how much Shion resembled her mother, and he hoped Aoi Uzuki didn't notice it as well. He spoke up. "I'm really sorry to bother you, ma'am, but my friend and I seem to have gotten lost. We're visiting relatives on this planet for the first time, and we can't seem to locate their house."

Aoi smiled, and it lit up her face in the same way smiles lit up Shion's. "Oh please do come in. It's freezing outside, and you two look like you're going to become ice statues." Jr. nodded to her gratefully and stepped aside to allow Shion to pass.

Shion moved inside and then just stood, drinking in the sight of her mother. Aoi looked so alive to Shion right then, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't keep from hugging her. Aoi laughed in surprise, and Shion tried to apologize. "I'm sorry. It's just that it was so cold out there, and I'm really grateful to be inside where it's warm."

Aoi waved Shion's apology away. "You don't have to apologize. It's very strange, but you remind me of someone. It's almost like I already know you. In fact, I'd be pleased if you could stay a while. It's Christmas Eve after all. I'm sure your relatives won't mind you being a little late." She led the both of them into the kitchen, where Shion came face-to-face with her father and her brother. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she lowered her head for a few seconds until she could subdue them.

Two hours later, Allen contacted Jr. to let him know it was nearly time for them to return. Jr. conveyed this to Shion, who nodded her understanding. She went to Aoi and smiled at her. "Well, it seems my friend was able to get in touch with our relatives and get directions to their house. So we'll need to get going."

Aoi reached out to hug her and Shion was warmed by her mother's touch, even if Aoi didn't know it. "It was wonderful to have the two of you here. We're all sad to hear you have to go, but I'm sure your relatives would like to spend some time with you as well. Take care then."

As she left, Shion waved to her father and the teenaged Jin, and they gave her warm smiles in return. Upon reaching the checkpoint where Allen planned on retrieving them, Jr. suddenly stopped and said hesitantly, "So did I do the right thing, Shion? Were you happy spending time with your family?"

Shion was quiet for a minute, but Jr. could sense that it wasn't an angry silence. She was simply basking in the glow of having been able to spend time with her intact family. "Jr., you did a wonderful thing," she told him finally. "No matter what happens, I will always have this memory tucked safely within my heart, and that is thanks to you. I can't find the words to tell you just how much this meant to me." She took his hands in hers and leaned down to give him a soft kiss on the cheek, very near his mouth.

Jr. turned bright red with embarrassment and removed one of his hands from Shion's to put to the back of his head. "Well, you mean a lot to me, Shion, and I just wanted to give you a special gift." His eyes were focused on the ground, because he knew his heart was in them and he didn't think Shion was quite ready to hear him profess his love for her. That would come in time.

As Allen broke in to say everything was ready and he'd be bringing them back, Shion said quietly, "Speaking of gifts, I've got one for you when we get back." Jr. lifted shocked eyes to her face, and then everything proceeded to go all hazy again.

Their return was uneventful, other than Jr. feeling a little awkward when he discovered he'd passed out on Shion's lap for the length of the dive. Both of them thanked Allen for his help, and Allen gave a small smile. "It made you happy, Shion. That's all that mattered." Without another word, he left the room.

Shion seemed slightly sad as she looked after him, but then her face cleared and she gave Jr. a pointed look. "I'm sure you're wondering about your gift, so how about we go up to the women's cabin?"

Once there, she handed Jr. a beautifully wrapped box. Jr. was a little confused, but he'd ask about it after he saw what the gift was. After carefully unwrapping it, he opened the box and pulled a brand new duster jacket out of it. It was black and had a Chinese red dragon emblazoned on the back, a high collar like his old black jacket, and long sleeves that tendrils of fire were creeping up. "Shion?" he said, his voice questioning.

Shion laughed. "I'll be honest with you, Jr. I don't like the whole short coat look on you. I preferred your old duster jackets, and I actually wondered why you abandoned them. So when you told us that MOMO and Doctus had managed to get a lot of the new network running, I searched high and low for a store that could do what I wanted done. Do you like it?"

Jr. immediately shrugged off the jacket he had on and slipped into the new one. He stood for a minute, examining it from every angle he could. Then he turned to Shion and questioned, "But why did you get this for me?" Before she could answer, he added with a laugh, "And as for why I abandoned the look, it was because the one droid on the Durandal said he'd look better in a duster coat than me and kept stealing them on me. He didn't like the short coat, thankfully, so I didn't have to keep chasing him down to get it back."

Shion found this hilarious and was doubled over with laughter for a minute or so. When she was able to catch her breath and become serious, she replied to his question, "I got it for two reasons. The first is because you've conquered your fear of your Red Dragon mode and I meant it to be symbolic of that. The second is because it's a birthday present." Jr. started to speak, but she talked over him. "Back when I talked to Shelley about what had happened with me and Allen, she mentioned something about Christmas being your birthday and you not caring about that. At the time, I wondered why she brought it up, but I'm pretty sure I know why now. And if I'm right, I just want to take things slowly, okay? I don't want things to end badly because we rushed."

Jr., who had never expected to hear words of this sort from Shion, could only nod. His heart was too full of emotion right now to say anything. Shion got to her feet. "I have another surprise for you too, you know. While we were gone, I had everyone prepare a hybrid party. It's to celebrate both Christmas and your birthday. New traditions, remember?" As they smiled at one another, Albedo took that time to make his presence known again. _No one's going to want to celebrate my birthday,_ he sulked. Jr. could only laugh and then he and Shion headed for the lounge, toward new beginnings.


End file.
